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INDIANAPOLIS – Tyreke Evans has the ball at the top of the key and he’s going to attack the rim. Meanwhile, a few feet away, Bojan Bogdanovic nestles himself into the corner.

Evans puts his head down and blows past his man, but help is on the way. The Chicago Bulls' defense begins to rotate and collapse on the Indiana Pacers guard. Bogdanovic is now practically alone in the corner, but Evans doesn’t see him. Evans gets within a couple feet of the rim and lofts up a prayer.

It goes unanswered.

Bogdanovic’s arms collapse to his side. He retreats to play defense, unhappy with the wasted possession.

To say plays like this have been rampant this season would be an overstatement. Even on Tuesday night against Chicago, Evans delivered more than a couple quality drive-and-kick passes to open teammates. However, his failure to identify Bogdanovic isn’t exactly an isolated incident, either. Evans occasionally suffers from tunnel vision.As coach Nate McMillan explained recently, he sometimes seems to predetermine his actions and he misses an opportunity for an easy pass to a Pacers’ sharpshooter.

Speaking after practice Wednesday at St. Vincent Center, Bogdanovic doesn’t deny being frustrated in the moment. But he’s also not harboring any ill will toward Evans. On the contrary, actually. He sympathizes with Evans, who has replaced superstar Victor Oladipo in the Pacers (14-10) starting lineup while he recovers from a knee injury.

Developing chemistry with a new team isn’t easy, Bogdanovic says, speaking from experience.

Going from being a starter your whole life to the bench, then back to being a starter isn’t easy.

Knowing when to be a scorer and when to be a facilitator isn’t easy.

“When he’s coming off bench, his (first priority) is to score,” Bogdanovic said ahead of Thursday’s road game against Orlando, the ninth consecutive game the Pacers will be without Oladipo. “Now he’s trying to create opportunities for everybody. It’s different.

“He might miss passes sometimes, but he’s just trying to be aggressive and get into the game. He’s a scorer, so he’s trying to get his points. But he (can be) a great passer, also.”

Bogdanovic speaks about Evans the way the rest of his teammates do: with patience.

He’s a professional they all say. There's a reason he's been around the league for a decade. He knows what's he doing. It will click for him soon. Have patience.

Patience is what coach Nate McMillan is preaching as well — especially in regards to Evans’ place in the Pacers starting lineup, which isn't going to change.

“He’s had some turnovers, some missed shots lately, (but) we’re not going to go away from him,” McMillan said. “Off the bench, he was doing some good things for us. Hopefully he’ll find his rhythm and start knocking down some of those shots."

While McMillan isn’t wrong that Evans was doing some good things off the bench, he wasn’t doing them consistently — or to the level the Pacers likely expected when they brought him to the team this offseason.

He was recruited to be a reliable secondary weapon, someone who could alleviate some of the pressure off the starting unit – especially Oladipio – more consistently that Lance Stephenson was able to last year.

Some nights, he's followed through on that pledge. Other nights, not so much. But there's little question he performed better off the bench than he has since being thrust into the starting lineup.

In 15 games this season as a reserve, Evans averaged 11.2 points (40 percent from 3) and 2.2 assists in about 20 minutes per game. Per basketball reference metrics, he had an offensive rating (a stat given per 100 possessions) of 96. While not awful, it still would have been the lowest mark of his career.

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) dives on the floor for a loose ball in front of Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen (24) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-90. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Tyreke Evans (12) drives on and is fouled by Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen (24) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-90. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) drives on and is fouled by Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-90. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) cheers on his teammates in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-90. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) has the ball knocked away by Chicago Bulls guard Ryan Arcidiacono (51) in the first half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) is fouled by Chicago Bulls guard Ryan Arcidiacono (51) in the first half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison (2) defends the shot by Chicago Bulls guard Cameron Payne (22) in the first half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison (2) takes a charge from Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen (24) in the first half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) defends the shot by Chicago Bulls forward Justin Holiday (7) in the first half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison (2) attempts to block the shot by Chicago Bulls guard Cameron Payne (22) in the first half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young (21) drives on Chicago Bulls forward Jabari Parker (2) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-90. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers guard Cory Joseph (6) begins to celebratew with Domantas Sabonis (11) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-90. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen talks with guard Cameron Payne (22) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-90. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) spins to the hoop on Chicago Bulls forward Jabari Parker (2) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-90. Matt Kryger/IndyStar

However, as a starter -- a role many thought might make him more comfortable since he had started 77 percent of games during his nine previous years in the NBA -- he’s been worse.

In eight games as a starter — a small sample size to be sure — he’s averaging just 9.4 points (31.3 percent from 3) and 3.3 assists per game, as his offensive rating has plummeted to 80. Meanwhile, after his five-turnover night on Tuesday, Evans has committed almost as many turnovers (23) in the past eight games as he did in the 15 he played off the bench (25).

Evans, who wasn’t available to the media on Wednesday, hasn’t been able to explain why he's struggled to adjust to his new role. Neither could McMillan. But that doesn't mean he believes Evans is going through anything more than a run-of-the-mill rough patch.

“He just hasn’t been able to find that rhythm that he had coming off the bench," said McMillan, whose Pacers have gone 4-4 with Evans as a starter. "Sometimes that can have an effect on you — playing more minutes and playing against starters. ... “I just think guys go through stretches like this. It happens. We’re going to keep him there in that spot while Victor is out and continue to try and help him find his rhythm.”